We deliver outstanding escape room adventures for people of all ages and abilities.

When I’m not working at an operational level, I help write games and source props. After nearly twenty years of sitting behind a computer this business is my escape from reality and helps to keep me insane.

An innovative company building innovative new cutting edge software which enables any organisation to deliver any systems and learning to its people or customers fast.

Chelmsford Community Radio C.I.C
Status: Online, on app, and on 104.4fm
Ownership: 50% Guardian
Role: Off Air Director (Since: January 2013)
Responsibilities: Fundraising, business development

This is the community radio station for Chelmsford I helped to setup.

The station hosts 62 hours of live local programming a week, and has produced over 13,000 shows which are all available online through a listen again services. Eleven of our volunteers have moved into jobs in commercial radio. Three professional studios are paid for by our community coffee shop.

I have successfully sourced five grants for CCR

National Lottery Awards for All (2014) Disability Studio Desk

National Lottery Awards for All (2016) Community Coffee Shop move and refurbishment

The coffee shop was given to the radio station in 2014 and we’ve successfully turned it from failure into a successful coffee shop. All profits made from the coffee shop pay the rent for Chelmsford Community Radio studios, and also fund community projects.

In 2016 I won funding from the National Lottery Awards for All for the Coffee Shop to be moved into a more prominent location to attract more footfall, the business continues to grow.

The business has had two health inspections, achieving 5 star status (the highest award) each time.

I advise and guide the business.

Profile….

Since 2000 Matthew has worked on learning, research, implementaion and turnaround projects all over the globe for schools, colleges and universities, and organisations that include:

A company supplying innovative software solutions into business, education, sport, healthcare and government.

Cleveratom grew fast, delivering high profile learning and creative projects to organisations including the BBC. The company worked on high level government projects, employing designers, developers and trainers.

When David Cameron took over the country in 2010 and axed the quangos too fast we lost hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of Government contracts in a matter of weeks, and were sent into administration.

It really wasn’t our fault, but I learned a lot about how to mitigate government change risk and avoid future failures.

This was the High Street shop my wife and I piloted in the Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford on the site of a former Faith Footwear Store. Justina worked for Faith in a managerial role; when Faith went bust we reopened her favourite store, rehiring all staff, and bringing back key suppliers.

We ultimately closed Hope down after seven months, the economy was so bad at that time that most shoppers were unwilling to spend, and the overheads remained the same.

The monthly rates on the store was £5109!

The reason the High Street is in such a mess is risk averse banks and our greedy government choking businesses though excessive rates.

In a good economy this business had the ingredients to succeed, but in good business you can’t get emotionally attached and must know when to walk away from a money pit.

Rolling Stage Hire Ltd, is a commercial stage hire company with innovative solutions for live events. The original truck was purchased on ebay as a cheeky bid; in its previous life it worked for GCap Media, travelling out to events and hosting artists such as Kylie, Steps and Westlife.

After years in hibernation we bought the truck, refitted her, and put her to work. In the interests of not being in a field at 2am anymore, I sold my stake in this one.